Self-locking concealed hinge



March 4, 1941. w, BOBEK SELF-LOCKING CONCE ALED HINGE Fild Jan. 24, 1938 m M s m n T3 2N N R m 0 W i 9A W W B Patented Mar. 4, 1 941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEC 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in concealed' hinges especially adapted for automobile deck lids, hood lids, ventilators, Windshields, and similar closure elements.

In the automobile body art, especially in conjunction with streamlined body designs in which curved panels are common practice, it is desirable to employ a concealed type of hinge in order to maintain a thoroughly finished appearance to avoid unsightly and air-flow resisting projections. It is also essential to provide ample clearance between adjacent parts of the closure element and its frame member as the former swings to open position, especially where large clearance is required because of curved formation of the frame and closure elements.

One object of the present invention is to improve the art of concealed hinges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concealed hinge embodying very few parts all of simple formation and easily constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concealed type of hinge which automatically locks the closure element in its fully open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concealed hinge which permits ease of operation, ready locking of the hinge when the closure element has been extended to its fully open position, and permits the hinge to be readily unlocked in order to shut such closure element.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating the genus of the invention; reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hinge constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the hinge being illustrated in extended position and associated closure elements and frame elements being indicated in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hinge depicted in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the hinge construction shown in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a detail section of a part shown in the preceding figures.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the numeral lll designates a closure element which may be an automobile decking lid, ventilator, windshield frame, or similar closure part. The closure element I0 is provided with a peripheral overlap flange I 1 adapted to cooperate with a water drain channel l2 of a frame indicated generally by the numeral M. The channel [2 may be employed for the reception of a sealing strip of compressible material, such as sponge rubber or the like, where a more perfect seal of the closure element is desired.

The improved hinge, as shown, is depicted in the relationship in which it would occur when employed in conjunction with an automobile deck lid and comprises broadly, a pair of substantially l0 arcuate members 15 and It, the latter being provided with an arcuate slot I! described about the point I9 as a center, and the former member being provided with a pair of spaced studs l8 and 20 disposed within such slot ii. The studs 15 I8 and 20 are restricted to movement lengthwise of the slot l1 and to facilitate such movement, these studs are preferably provided with antifriction elements which, as illustrated in Fig. 4, may be in the form of a roller bearing comprising a plurality of roller elements 2| and a retaining sleeve 22.

Either member E5 or it may be secured to the closure element ll] while the other member is secured to a frame part M. In the illustrated embodiment, the arcuate member I5 is provided with an attaching plate 23 for fastening the same to the closure element I0 while the arcuate member I6 is provided with a similar attaching plate 24 for fastening the member It to a portion of the frame I4. The arcuate slot ll of member l6 terminates at the outer end thereof, in a laterally disposed notch 25 into which the stud 20, or its anti-friction hearing when such is provided, may drop when the closure element I0 is moved to its fully open position. Movement of the studs l8 and 20 lengthwise of slot l1 causes the closure member ill to swing about an imaginary horizontal axis passing through the point ill. The weight of the closure element l0 tends to rotate the same together with the arcuate member l5 about the stud [8 as a center causing the stud 20, or its anti-friction bearings, to remain within the notch 25 and thus automatically hold the closure element H1 in its fully open position. It is noted, however, that if the arcuate members [5 and [6 were extended in length so that the closure element It! would swing to and beyond a vertical plane that the notch 25 would be disposed radially inwardly with reference to the outer terminal end of the slots rather than outwardly as in the illustrated embodiment. To release the closure element ID from its locked condition at the fully opened position thereof, it is merely necessary to lift the closure element l slightly and then push the same toward the frame elements l4 until the stud 20, or its antifriction bearing, clears the notch 25. The closure element It] then can swing or be manually lowered to its closed position.

Referring toFig. 1, it is noted that the closure element I0 and its overlap flange II have a large clearance with reference to adjacent parts of the frame I 4 and that such clearance would be ample to prevent interference between the closure and frame parts even though the latter be of curved formation. The ends of the slot I! are closed so that the stud l8 limits movement of the member IS in but one direction when the hinge is in closed position while the stud 20 in conjunction with the holding means or notch 25 holds the arcuate member l5 against movement in either direction relative to the member I6 until the stud 20 is swung upwardly to clear the notch 25. The studs 20 and I8 are fixed tothe arcuate member l5, preferably by riveting, but may be secured thereto by threading, welding, or other desired expedient. The plates 23 and 24 are provided with suitable openings 26 through which bolts, rivets, screws or similar fastening means may be projected for securing the arcuate members and E6 to the closure and frame elements.

In the operation of the hinge, the closure member l0 swings open about a horizontal imaginary axis which passes through the point l9 as the studs l8 and 2!) travel lengthwise of slot [1. As the stud 29 reaches the closed outer end of slot ll, release of the closure member ID will allow the latter to swing about an axis passing horizontally through the center of the stud I 8, and permits the stud or its antifriction bearing to drop into the notch 25. To close the closure element l0, it is only necessary to lift the outer end of the same which swings it about the axis of stud l8 as a center until stud 20 clears notch 25, and then push the closure element toward the illustrated parts of frame I to cause the closure element to swing about the imaginary axis which intersects point I9. Once the stud 20 is inside the notch 25, the closure element ID will continue to swing about the imaginary axis as a center under the influence of gravity until in fully closed position.

As many changes could be made in the above described construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments could be had without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A concealed hinge for a closure element 2. A concealed hinge for a substantially horizontally pivoted closure element comprising a pair of substantially arcuate members, one of said members being provided with a substantially arcuate slot terminating at one end in a laterally disposed notch and the other member having fixed thereto a pair of spaced studs disposed in' said slot for movement lengthwise thereof, one of said studs being adapted to drop into said laterally disposed notch of said slot to'lock the hinge in open position.

3. In a concealed hinge for a substantially horizontally pivoted closure element, the combination with two plates adapted to be secured to adjacent edges of a relatively stationary frame and such closure element, respectively; of two substantially arcuate members each integral with one of said plates, one member being provided with an arcuate guide means including holding means at one end thereof and the other member having a plurality of bearing means fixed thereto in spaced relation to each other and arranged so that said guide means restricts movement thereof to movement lengthwise of the guide means, said guide and bearing means causing said closure element to swing about an imaginary axis as a center, which axis intersects no parts of said hinge, and said holding means locking said members against relative lengthwise movement in either direction at one limit of movement of one member relative to the other, said closure element swinging about the axis of one of said bearing means as a center to cause another of said bearing means to engage said holding means to lock said members against relative movement.

WILLIAM BOBEK. 

